Lantern assembly



March 15, 1966 H. A. DAUM 3,239,958

LANTERN ASSEMBLY Filed April 17, 1965 )HN D05 JIWMQQQQWW IN VEN TOR. HOWARD A. DAI/M.

United States Patent 3,239,958 LANTERN ASdEMBLY Howard A. Baum, 1 219. idea 126, Littieatown, ll iicd Apr. 1'7, 1963, Ser. No. 273,591

4 (Claims. ((31. 4t9-145 This invention relates to a combination outdoor lantern, post and sign assembly, and, more particularly, to an expeditious method of mounting the sign on the lantern p Generally, when a lantern is mounted outside to illuminate a walk leading to a home, for example, it is desir able to attach a sign to the lantern post bearing the nu moral of the house, or the name of the party residing there in. Prior to applicants invention, attaching such a sign to a post generally necessitated providing the post with a hole, to which the sign was attached in a cumbersome, difficult and often time-consuming manner. Applicant has devised a way of attaching such a sign to a post that is neat in appearance, trouble free and can be done in a matter of a few seconds.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a fast, practical and expeditious means of attaching a sign to a lantern supporting post.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in combination with a lantern supporting post including at least one arm extending therefrom, sign means including a socket thereon for receiving the free end of said arm and a bracket on said sign means encircling said arm and including means for maintaining the sign in assembled relation with the lantern post arm.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above-stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a lantern post and sign assembly according to the invention, with the post broken away for convenience, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a portion of the sign means more clearly showing the means for connecting the same to the post.

In referring to the drawings, a lantern, post and sign assembly comprises a lantern 11, post 12, and sign means 13. Lantern 11 can be of any conventional type, and it is not my desire to restrict the invention to the type shown.

Post 12 includes a ladder rest 14, which comprises a pair of arm portions 15 which are identical. It will be apparent that they need not be identical or that only one arm be provided. Each arm portion 15' includes a groove 16 therein for purposes later to be brought out. Arm portions 15 further include a protruding end portion 17 and a stop 18.

Sign means 13 includes a decorative support 19 designed to blend harmoniously with an arm 15. Support means 19 contains a socket 20 therein, adapted to receive either protruding end portion 17. The insertion of an end portion 17 into socket 29 is limited by stop means 18, as will be readily apparent. Sign means 13 further includes a cylindrical bracket 21 thereon, which is adapted to encircle an arm 15 when an end portion 17 is received within socket 211. A set screw 22 is provided through cylindrical bracket 21 and, when fully turned down, seats within a groove 16 to maintain sign 13 and arm 15 in assembled relation.

As seen in FIG. 1, set screw 22 is fully extended from cylindrical bracket 21, but, when turned down, it will be flush with the same to present a pleasing appearance.

In assembling a sign 13 on an arm 15, it will be appar- Patented 15, 1956 ent that cylindrical bracket 21 is inserted over an arm 15 until end portion 17 seats within socket 2d, at which time set screw 22 is turned down and the assembly is completed.

As was pointed out above, post 12 includes the ladder rest 14. However, it will be apparent that the ladder rest 14 could be cast as an integral part of lantern 11. Further, instead of being an integral part of lantern 11 or post 12,

- ladder rest 14 could be in the form of a bracket separate from post 12 but encircling the same and attached thereto. My invention covers all these modifications.

It will be apparent that I have provided an expeditious, attractive, and efiicient method for attaching a sign to a lantern post.

I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. An outdoor lantern and sign assembly comprising lantern means; a ladder rest extending from said lantern means, said ladder rest comprising at least. one arm, said arm including a circumferential groove and a protruding end portion spaced therefrom; sign means for attachment to said ladder rest arm; means providing an extension of said ladder rest arm projecting laterally from one side of said sign means, said means including a socket therein adapted to receive said arm end portion; cylindrical bracket means extending from said sign means and aligned with said socket to encircle said ladder rest arm for supporting said sign means thereon when said arm end portion is received in said socket, the spacing between said socket and said bracket means being such that said bracket means overlies said circumferential groove when said socket engages said arm end portion; and screw means passing through said bracket means for bearing on said circumferential groove to maintain said ladder rest arm and sign means in assembled relation.

l The assembly set out in claim 1 wherein said screw ri eans comprises a set screw received in said bracket means and recessed therein when bearing on said circumferential groove.

3. The assembly set out in claim 1 further including stop means for said protruding end portion, said stop means limiting the insertion of said end portion in said socket and thereby determining said spacing whereby said bracket means overlies said circumferential groove.

4. The assembly set out in claim 3 wherein said screw means comprises a set screw received in said bracket means and recessed therein when bearing on said circumferential groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 234,611 1 H1880 Quintavalle 248-208 1,286,541 12/1918 Cook 248-208 X 1,425,190 8/ 1922 Fitzgerald 248-230 1,531,266 3/1925 Anderson 40 X 2,212,953 8/1940 Popp 248-23O 2,312,231 2/1943 Bernier 248-208 X FOREIGN PATENTS 953,484 11/1956 Germany. Ad. 15,441 1905 Great Birtain. 305,277 2/ 1929 Great Britain.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner. 

1. AN OUTDOOR LANTERN AND SIGN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING LANTERN MEANS; A LADDER REST EXTENDING FROM SAID LANTERN MEANS, SAID LADDER REST COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE ARM, SAID ARM INCLUDING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE AND A PROTRUDING END PORTION SPACED THEREFROM; SIGN MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID LADDER REST ARM; MEANS PROVIDING AN EXTENSION OF SAID LADDER REST ARM PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID SIGN MEANS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A SOCKET THEREIN ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID ARM END PORTION; CYLINDRICAL BRACKET MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SIGN MEANS AND ALIGNED WITH SAID SOCKET TO ENCIRCLE SAID LADDER REST ARM FOR SUPPORTING SAID SIGN MEANS THEREON WHEN SAID ARM END PORTION IS RECEIVED IN SAID SOCKET, THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID SOCKET AND SAID BRACKET MEANS BEING SUCH THAT SAID BRACKET MEANS OVERLIES SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE WHEN SAID SOCKET ENGAGES SAID ARM END PORTION; AND SCREW MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID BRACKET MEANS FOR BEARING ON SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE TO MAINTAIN SAID LADDER REST ARM AND SIGN MEANS IN ASSEMBLED RELATION. 